


The Auction

by mmroad



Category: Alex morgan - Fandom, Clarke Griffin - Fandom, The 100, US Womens National Soccer Team, USWNT - Fandom, clexa - Fandom, lesbian - Fandom, lexa - Fandom, talex - Fandom, tobin heath - Fandom
Genre: Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, Lesbian Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-07-22 06:22:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7423495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmroad/pseuds/mmroad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tobin and Alex meet on their high school soccer team, but when college tears them apart, it seems like a miracle when fate brings them back together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I chose to be your friend, but falling in love with you was completely out of my control.

Tobin was a freshman at Diamond Bar High School in California when she first met Alex Morgan on her high school soccer team. Alex was a sophomore on varsity and was the starting forward. Tobin, being as talented as she was, made varsity as a freshman and by mid-season was the starting mid-fielder. Soon it became obvious to everyone that Tobin and Alex had chemistry on and off the field. Tobin always knew where Alex was and played her the perfect balls. It was like clockwork. Although the synergy between the two was blatant, it took them awhile to admit that they had feelings for each other.  
Eventually, towards the end of Alex's junior year, she admitted to the younger girl she had feelings for her. Tobin then assured her she had had the same feelings for Alex since the end of her freshman year. It was like a dream come true for both the girls. The person they truly loved loved them back. They soon started dating. They became inseparable. Having sleep overs every night in the summer, riding to and from soccer practice, and hanging out at each-others houses in-between 2-a-days, they had spent so much time together that they understood the other perfectly.

They could sit in silence and be comfortable. One could tell when the other was upset or mad just by looking at her for 3 seconds. Like when Alex missed her PK in the semifinal of the tournament, the team still won riding on Alex’s other two goals. However, after the game everyone was so excited and celebrated by singing “we’re goin to the ship…we’re goin to the ship”, but no one seemed to notice Alex slowly packing up her things and heading straight to the bus, no one except Tobin that is. Tobin followed her out to the bus to find Alex just sitting in her seat and looking at the window. Tobin knew Alex felt like she had let everyone down by missing something as simple as a PK. Although Tobin knew none of that was true, she knew telling her girlfriend that wouldn’t make a difference, so she just sat next to her and cradled Alex in arms until her teammates arrived on the bus twenty minutes later. Body language and eye contact was all they needed to understand the other completely without even needing a single word to be spoken. It truly was what happens when you love your best friend.  
Alex's senior year finally began. She had accepted an offer to go play soccer at The University of Cal Berkley, which was not just a great soccer hub but also had superb academics. Tobin and Alex had already made the plan for Tobin to end up there once she was finished with high school. All they had to do was get through one year without the each other. They both tried to push the idea out of their heads and use the most of the time they still had. But sometimes those thoughts of the coming challenge of being separated crept into their minds. All they had to do to push those thoughts away was to look at the other to see that the she was just as scared.  
By the time Alex's senior year ended, she had an almost perfect year. She had had Tobin with her every step of the way. Tobin was at soccer senior night, all the award banquets, and graduation. Life was good, but both girls knew the good times were going to be coming to an end, and the hard times would start rolling in. The summer after senior year went by as quickly as senior year did, especially since Alex's summer was cut short because she had to leave early for soccer training. 

The night before Alex left for Berkley, after she packed up her car and was all set for the morning, she started her goodbye tour by stopping by and saying goodbye to all her close friends. Alex, of course, saved the most important goodbye for last. It was about 10 pm once Alex made her way over to Tobin's house. Tobin was sitting on the front porch: she didn't want to wake the rest of her family who was inside sleeping. The second Alex walked up to the porch, the water works started. Both girls couldn't hold it together. They sat on the porch for two hours just crying and consoling the other. Eventually, Alex did need to get home, so she could sleep for her long ride the next day. Alex took Tobin by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes and said "I love you, and we will make this work no matter what....and in one year this will be over, and we will be together again...our love can withstand this...do you agree?" (Alex, being the older, always had to be the stoic one). "Yes, I agree" Tobin mumbled as a few faint tears fell down her face. Alex smiled and looked Tobin deep in the eyes, etching each feature of her face into her memory. She wanted to remember Tobin’s slick jawline, rosy cheeks, and hazel eyes even after they parted ways. Alex then closed the space between them, closed her eyes, and kissed Tobin’s jaw, Tobin’s cheeks, Tobin’s eyes, and Tobin’s lips. one. last. time. 

As Alex drove off, she couldn't help but break down once again. She was leaving the love of her life for months at a time. It felt so cruel. But she knew she had to do it. At the same time Tobin had turned around to head inside to attempt to sleep. Before falling asleep, both girls thought to themselves "it's only a year...if anyone can do it it's us".


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Distance makes the heart grow fonder...or does it?

Everything did not go as smoothly as the girls had hoped. Alex became so engulfed in soccer, and meeting new friends, and all the freedom that came along with college that she didn't give Tobin the attention or the love she needed. Calls every other day turned into calls once a week which eventually turned into calls once a month. Tobin had felt left behind. She was unable to have her best friend in the whole world at her final high school soccer games, at her senior night, at her awards banquets. Tobin felt forgotten. Alex would always call and apologies to Tobin and say, "you'll understand next year when you're here, there's just so much going on and you get so busy it's crazy". But Tobin needed to understand now. She needed her girlfriend, her confidant, her lover to be with her now. It eventually became too much for Tobin. She couldn't do it anymore. She felt like she was losing the love of her life, and she didn't know how to deal with that other than to just run away from her feelings...run far far away. 

When Alex's soccer season was over and she finally came home for Christmas, Tobin went over to see Alex a little while after she got home. Alex hugged Tobin the very moment she walked in the door. She was so excited to see the one person she missed more than anyone else on earth. Alex was so caught up in the moment and was so excited to tell Tobin all her tales and adventures from college that it negated Alex’s ability to recognize that something was up with Tobin. Tobin said, “we need to talk,” and a look of confusion fell upon Alex’s face. They use to be able to connect with each other on body language alone, but now Alex couldn’t even understand Tobin when she verbally reached out for help. She stopped and asked Tobin what was wrong. Tobin explained to Alex how she had felt the last few months and how she just couldn't do it anymore. Tobin didn't need to be upset when Alex didn't answer her calls or text. Tobin needed to enjoy her senior year. She had already missed her senior homecoming because she didn’t want to go with another girl and upset her girlfriend, but Alex didn’t show any appreciation and definitely didn’t offer to come home to escort Tobin herself. 

Alex saw where the conversation was going and relentlessly reassured her girlfriend “its not that big of a deal,” “you’ll understand soon,” “I really tried for you.” But Tobin couldn’t listen. Clearly Alex hadn’t tried hard enough. And after an hour of rationalizations, exaggerations, and excuses, Tobin had had enough. Enough of all of it. She took one last look at Alex’s big blue eyes. Tobin hated the thought of those beautiful eyes wet because of her, but she had to do what was right for her. Finally Alex’s voice came back into focus, “Tobin, are you even listening to me!” Tobin’s heart raced; she knew what had to happen. Tobin blurted out, “No, we’re done, all done; goodbye Alex.” She bolted through the door and into her car. Tears racing down her face, the stop lights on the road looked like little twinkles. And when she got home a few minutes later, she threw her head on the steering wheel and wept, as each individual tear dropped on her lap over and over again. 

Two weeks later, the phone rang. Tobin wondered lazily over to the phone, “Hello, Tobin speaking” … “Jill Ellis, from UNC? This is quite unexpected, but thank you for contacting me” … “You’ve been watching me, a full scholarship?” Alex’s blue eyes flashed into Tobin’s mind. Her heart raced, “I’ll take it.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Choose people who choose you

Four years later and Tobin's college career was coming to a close. She loved UNC but struggled staying in touch with her friends from high school. She was just so busy with life that she would sometimes forget to call or respond to texts. One time even, Tobin was extremely worried about her big finance II exam. She did almost nothing but study, and as she was catatonically staring at her notes, a strange knock at the door interrupted her 16 hour study session. When she got to the door, she was surprised to see her mother standing worriedly in the hall. Turns out, she hadn’t been on her phone for over a week, and her mother came to check up on her MIA daughter. Every once in a while, a little voice would sneak into her head and say "you'll understand next year, you just get busy," but every time Tobin would just push that voice back into the depths of her mind.

Although her four years had been great, Tobin's after school plans took a complete a 180 when she blew out her knee training for the NWSL only 3 weeks after winning the National championship with the Tar Heels. Due to major damage already done to her knee from other injuries earlier in her life, Tobin finally had to hang up the boots for good. At first Tobin was heartbroken, but, being as religious Tobin was, she knew God always had a plan, and she attempted to use gifts HE had given her in a different area. Luckily, Tobin didn't take the slacker route like most of her teammates in college who just got a communications degrees. On the contrary, Tobin worked her butt off and was going to graduate with a finance degree in early May. The only problem was she needed to scramble to find a job after graduation. Most students had their jobs locked in at the beginning of senior year, and Tobin felt like she had dropped the ball. But Tobin eventually stumbled upon Clarke and Lexa Griffin, a couple trying to start a new non-profit. Clarke and Lexa handled the philanthropic part as founders, and Tobin took control of the company’s finances as general manager. Suddenly, Clexa Corporation was born. This non-profit did everything from finding jobs for the poor to building houses for the homeless. It was the perfect fit for Tobin and she even got to stay in Charlotte.

Tobin soon became an employee favorite with her great smile and humble personality. Not only was Tobin a favorite among employees, but she was also beloved by her customers. Families initially turned away because the immense need which exceeded the company’s ability came to Tobin looking for extra funding, and Tobin miraculously, often found the money to help any family that knocked on her door. Tobin had helped the company expand to all over North Carolina and was looking into expanding across the country. Business was booming, and people's lives were being saved all thanks to someone who was just going to play soccer for the rest of her life, until God had a different plan for her. Tobin was loving life; she couldn't have asked for more....or could she? Little did Tobin know that her life was about to become a little more interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering why it's called The Auction...here you go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two souls don't find each other simply by accident...

Around Christmas every year, of course using the giving season to their advantage, Clexa Corp. had a giant auction. The corporation invited every big name in the state. Over the past years, the auction had grown, raising more and more money every year. Millions of dollars worth of different gift baskets and tickets to sporting events, concerts, and more. As was Tobin’s idea, a new money maker was added to the non-profit’s arsenal, a local celebrity auction. Seeing the good things Clexa was doing, generous celebs donated their time for the auction. Going to a sporting event with sports icons, having dinner with big heads of companies, cooking lessons from famous local chefs, everything you could think of was auctioned.

Everyone in the state flocked to the auction. The corporation made a huge chunk of their funding for the upcoming year on this. No expense was spared. They rented out the nicest ball room in Charlotte, and waiters in black tuxedos with white gloves walked around and served chardonnay on broad silver trays. Tobin loved the auction. So many generous people all in one place, that was the kind of thing she lived for. The caveat to the fundraiser was that Tobin was in the auction. Every dollar made at the event went to saving another person’s life, so the high-profile employees were also auctioned off. Now, no one expected dinner at the general manager's house to go for as much as the big celebrity packages, but making an extra thousand or two could feed four families for a month, so Tobin didn't put up much of a fight when she was told her duties for the night. Tobin considered herself shy and awkward; even though everyone else considered her quite personable. "No one will want dinner with me...but okay Lexa" Tobin thought to herself when her boss told about her role. She was a little nervous because she definitely didn’t have this in mind when she suggested a celebrity auction, and the fact that she was going to be auctioned off last in recognition of her contribution made her stomach turn. Still, she kept in mind the people she was helping and went on enjoying the night.

 

This year the fundraiser was on track to reel in its biggest profit yet. At the end of the silent auction, they had already raised 1.5 million dollars. Once the celebrity auction had begun though, Clarke and Lexa knew they were going to double that. Some of the chefs went for fifty thousand dollars; CEO’s went for seventy thousand, and sports celebrities went for over a hundred thousand dollars. All the employees were ecstatic. Towards the end they began auctioning off all the employees who had worked so hard to make all this happen. Curiosity convinced someone to bid forty thousand dollars on dinner with Clarke and Lexa at their house. Then it was Tobin’s turn. To say Tobin was sweating like a dog was an understatement. She couldn't hide her nerves. "This is so dumb; how did I let Lexa talk me into this...no one is gunna want me," Tobin thought right before Clarke tapped her on the shoulder and said "this is going to be great, you're going to be great, it's for a good cause...now get out there." And just like that, Clarke pushed Tobin on stage.

The stage lights blinded Tobin. She could only see a few rows in front of her. Lexa was the auctioneer and looked over at Tobin with a big smile attempting to sooth her anxiety. Tobin wiped the beads of sweat dripping from her face and looked down, regretting her choice of apparel. Clad in a sleek, black, long-sleeved ball gown with a high neckline, Tobin looked elegant. The black went perfectly with her simply styled, sandy hair. Tobin gave Lexa an awkward smile and a low-key thumbs up indicating she was ready to start. The founders assumed Tobin could go for one or two thousand dollars. SO they started the bidding started at $500. The words hung in the air. After what seemed like endless silence, a voice came out from the audience,“$600!” followed by “$700!” “$850!” “$1000!” all distinct voices, people who wanted her. Her head darted back and forth from bidder to bidder. To Tobin’s surprise, everyone loved her. As the bidding increased, only two bidders remained and alternated back and forth, “$3000!” “$4000!” “$4500!” Finally, one stood victorious.

Lexa thought it was about time to end the bids, so she said the usual line "$4500 going once, going twice, s----" when all of a sudden, "TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!" reverberated from the back of the room. Everyone gasped. The room was silent, well at least, until a surprised Lexa dropped the gavel she was holding (she had no idea when to use it, but she thought it made her look official). Tobin's mouth dropped. She couldn't see where the words came from. Had she heard that right? "Ten thousand dollars to have dinner with me....geez this guy must be crãzzzy," Tobin thought to herself. Once Lexa collected herself and her gavel off the ground, she said "sooo ten thousand...going once, going twice...SOLD to the person in the back...uhm..." and just like that, Alex Morgan emerged from the shadows in the back of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More to come


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still more chapters to come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you do when those feelings don't go away?

Once Lexa realized who it was, she collected herself and said "sold to none other than one of our famous NWSL soccer stars, Alex Morgan.....that concludes our auction for the night...thank you so much to all of our donors and bidders. If you won anything tonight, please come back stage to claim your prize and/or set a time to meet with your celebrity...have a safe drive home and good night." And with that the auction was over. Everyone started to get up and head towards the door; everyone except Tobin who was cemented in place. Tobin didn't know it was possible to be speechless till now. 

Lexa and Clarke both came up on stage and greeted her with open arms. "Damn Tobin, Alex Morgan must really want to take a bite out of you. Ten thousand dollars is not what we expected," Clarke stated after giddily hugging and kissing her wife. Once Tobin broke out of her trance of shock, she just smiled and nervously agreed, "yeah that's crazy." The girls were way too pumped about the awesome night they had put together to realize how odd Tobin was acting. Once everyone had cleared out and Clarke was done happily dancing around her wife and Tobin, the girls headed back stage. 

Everything was in slow motion for Tobin. She didn't know what to think. Sure, she knew Alex lived in North Carolina. Sure, she knew Alex was a super star on the both the NWSL team in the state and the USWNT. Sure, she even knew Alex was very involved in philanthropy. But even after knowing all that, it never clicked with Tobin that there was a possibility that Alex could be here, at the auction, in person.

To say Alex hadn't crossed Tobin's mind since the day Tobin left her crying was completely false: she thought about Alex all the time. Tobin would be lying if she said she didn't miss the striker. She dated a few other girls in college, but none longer than a month or two. Tobin couldn't connect with anyone like she did with Alex. No one had as big a heart as Alex, let alone as fiery and competitive a personality. Plus, trying to forget her was impossible considering Alex's face was everywhere on build-boards and magazines all around the town. 

Tobin did her best to stay busy. Ironically, she threw herself into her work to avoid Alex Morgan, but that's exactly how she ended up running into her. Tobin looked around for Alex nervously. Eventually she locked eyes with Alex sitting towards the back. 

A sense of calm and wonder washed over her for a few second before being completely flooded with fear and dread. "I can't do this...I can't do this," Tobin repeated to herself under her breath as Clarke and Lexa slowly dragged her to the back to "meet" her buyer. Once Tobin and Alex were face to face, Tobin could've sworn someone punched her in the stomach; she felt her chest expand, but no air would come in; she had a million butterflies flying around her stomach. 

Tobin hadn't seen Alex in seven years, but boy oh boy had time to been good Alex Morgan. Her skin was tanner; her hair, sleeker; her muscles, more defined. And those were only the few things Tobin could think of before getting lost in Alex's crystal blue eyes. A lot of things had changed about Alex, but not the thing Tobin had loved the most, her eyes. 

Ultimately, seven years of adversity, growth, and success had given Alex an aura of confidence that was overwhelmingly attractive. Clarke and Lexa introduced themselves and then introduced Tobin, not knowing the two had a past. Alex flashed her million dollar smile at the two Clexa Corp. founders and shook their hands, but when it came to shake Tobin's hand, Tobin noticed a pause in Alex's calm demeanor, almost as if she were holding her breathe. 

When Tobin eventually stuck out her hand to meet Alex's greeting half-way, there was a shock. A small electric shock that went through both of the girls when their hands met. Tobin looked down at their hands and then back up at Alex, and she could tell Alex felt it too.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if the one that got away came back?

Once the girls were done "meeting" and Clarke and Lexa were done cracking jokes about what Tobin must do to earn that ten-thousand-dollar dinner date, Clarke and Lexa left Tobin and Alex to decide the details of their dinner. 

Tobin looked to the ground and then back up at Alex. Tobin awkwardly grabbed the back of her neck and sputtered out, "sooo I guess I should I thank you." "What for?" Alex said quickly, catching Tobin off guard. "For spending $10,000 on a dinner with me." "Well it is for a good cause..." Alex tapered off. "Oh yeah it--" "Annd I wanted to see you," Alex blurted out, still not looking Tobin in the eyes. Perhaps, she knew not to get lost in them while trying to get business done. 

"So THE great Alex Morgan chooses to spend $10,000 instead of just making a phone call: I see how it is," Tobin smiled and responded jokingly, attempting to lighten the mood. "I thought...I thought you wouldn't respond," Alex said tentatively with a slight bit of sadness in her voice.

Many times Alex thought about simply picking up that phone. In a moment of weakness after missing a PK during the 2011 World Cup in shockingly similar circumstances to that game in the State tournament in high school. Deja vu, no one could comfort her, no one except Tobin. 

Eerily, Alex hoped Tobin was watching at home and thinking the same thing, and she desperately wanted to call her in the moment. Tobin didn’t know all that was wrapped up in Alex’s little comment. Instead, Tobin just gave her a slight smile. 

To be honest, Tobin doesn't know if she would pick up if she knew Alex were on the line. The rule of thumb is that it should take about half the time one was dating to get over an ex. Tobin had 7 times that and still wasn't quite over Alex Morgan. What could that mean? Could that be true love then? Does true love really never die? All these questions had floated through Tobin's subconscious over the years. If she were over Alex, she surely could pick up a phone call from her, right? 

Suddenly, Alex looked directly at Tobin and snapped her out her trance. "I'm sorry what did you say?" Tobin asked. "I said you look nice," Alex reiterated. Tobin blushed like a thirteen-year-old girl whose crush just said she liked her. "Thank you," Tobin said very formally, trying to play off the extreme redness in her cheeks, "so do you." Alex raised one eyebrow and smirked: her confidence was clearly coming back to her, "thank you." 

After that, the simple small talked ensued. Tobin explained to Alex how she had become such a big part of Clexa Corporation, and Alex illustrated how she ended up on the National team. After a little mindless chatter, the lights started to turn off slowly in the ball room.

"I guess they're kicking us out," Tobin said, smiling at Alex. "I guess they are," Alex playfully replied. Tobin led the way out with Alex close behind her. As the cold, crisp air kissed their bare faces, Alex buttoned up her black, knee-length, cashmere coat, and Tobin, her JC Penny clearance jacket. 

Alex nervously sputtered, "soo about that dinner." She could see her breath hanging in the air, mirroring the words she had just spoken. Tobin had completely forgotten about the meal for which the girl had paid $10,000.

Tobin chuckled a little saying, "yeahh, you might want that dinner...I mean it’s not like you spent anything on it or anything," Tobin winked at Alex and went on, "what works best for you?" "I'm free tomorrow night…at 7 maybe?" Alex asked. "Sounds good to me," Tobin replied before turning and walking to her car, "I'll see you tomorrow night at 7." 

Tobin opened her car door while watching Alex open hers a few cars down. "Oh and Tobin..." Tobin heard just before shutting her door. She reopened the door, stepped put into the crunchy snow, trying to stay in the tracks she already made. It was bitter cold, but she was so happy the night didn’t end on a plain note like that. Tobin looked over her snow covered car toward Alex. “Yeahh?” she said. "Thank you..." Alex replied in a happy voice. "What for?" Tobin questioned. "You know what..." Alex replied with a smirk before ducking into her car, shutting the door, and driving away. 

Tobin giddily got into her vehicle and drove the whole way home with a giant smile on her face, weightless and happily unaware of her surroundings. Tobin lay awake that night: she knew exactly what that thank you was for.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes we love with nothing more than hope...

It was 6:45 PM the following night. Tobin had just finished putting her famous seasoned roasted red skin potatoes in the oven along with some asparagus with a drizzle of olive oil. Later Tobin would put the finishing touches on the asparagus with a little squeeze from a fresh lemon. She had already compiled the salad for that night that was chilling in the fridge with a special homemade dressing to accompany it. The beef bourguignon had been simmering in its own juice and wine concoction for three hours in the bottom oven. To say the least, Tobin was going all out for this meal. Who knew Tobin had a little Julia Child in her?

A nice, red, ironed table cloth was thrown over Tobin's giant hand carved wooden table. Dinner was always a big thing in Tobin's house when she was younger. Growing up with four brothers, all of whom were almost as busy as their sister, Tobin would sometimes go the whole day without having any intimate communication with her family, at least until dinner that is. Everyone respected dinner, and they never allowed work to impede it via anxiety, cell phones, or rushing to leave early. Tobin loved that tradition so much that she tried to carry it over into her house in Charlotte. 

The wooden rectangular table and the two benches on either side were made by an old neighbor in her hometown. The man knew all the hard and inspiring work she was doing with Clexa Corp; therefore, he wanted to give her a gift, so she would never forget her roots. He told her, "no matter the reason you sit down at this table, whether it's for a quick bowl of cereal in the morning, a home cooked dinner with a loved one, or just a midnight snack after catching up on some late night work, it will always be a symbol of where you came from, and that will give you strength." Every time Tobin sat at that table, she remembered the man’s words. She definitely would need that strength tonight. 

Once Tobin was done setting the two dinner places, she lit two candles on the table and placed a bottle of Bordeaux in the middle. The candle’s light flickered on the dark navy walls of the kitchen, creating a passionate ambiance. When the doorbell rang, Tobin jumped. She looked to the clock; it read 6:55. It was unlike Alex to arrive anywhere early. As a teenager, the only thing for which Alex showed up on time was soccer. School, work, and even dates with Tobin (not that she cared,) not surprisingly, were not considered worthy of her punctuality. 

Tobin took off her apron and hung it in the pantry before heading to the door. She slowly pulled back to the door to reveal a stunning Alex Morgan standing in a tight yet tasteful black dress with a coat draped over her shoulders. "I didn't know what to wear," Alex said, as she passed Tobin who stepped aside to let her in. "I think we had the same idea," Tobin said, thinking back to the candles she lit on the table. "Wow," Alex said, as she slowly turned around Tobin's foyer, awe-struck. "I knew you worked a lot, but not..." she trailed off for a second before coming back to reality with Tobin hanging on every word, "this much." "This place actually came fully furnished. I just picked the house, moved in, and the rest is history," Tobin stated, shrugging her shoulders. "Of course you did," Alex said with a sweet yet sarcastic tone.

"Well are you going to give me a tour, or should we eat dinner in here?" Alex said with one eyebrow raised. "Oh yes, my fault your royal highness, please forgive my ignorance," Tobin sassed back with a smirk. That made Alex laugh. Not many people messed around with Alex anymore. Some people can't read her sarcasm and find her cold. One time, when asked how she felt after a game in which Megan Rapinoe heartbreakingly tore her ACL, Alex seemingly seriously replied, “She was pretty useless before the accident, so it doesn’t make a difference.” The next day, reporters wrote headlines misinterpreting her tone: MORGAN BREAKS HEARTS WHILE TEAMMATE BREAKS KNEE. After that, Alex learned to watch her tongue. It was nice to finally let loose and be herself. Tobin always messed around with Alex and gave her a hard time, calling her, "princess" back in high school. Tonight was going to be a breath of fresh air for the both of them. 

Tobin gave Alex the nickel tour of the house. Alex ooo-ed and ahhh-ed around the house and even cracked a few sly jokes when Tobin quickly passed by her bedroom. "What's the rush, Tobs? Hiding something or someone in there?" Alex winked at a red faced Tobin. "Noo, I just really have to get downstairs to make sure the dinner doesn't burn," Tobin said, picking up the pace heading down with Alex laughing behind her.

Tobin placed the potatoes and asparagus on the table. Alex offered to help, but Tobin just shushed her and reminded her she paid quite the pretty penny for this meal, so Alex sat quietly at the perfectly set table, smiling and watching Tobin hustle and bustle around the kitchen. Finally, Tobin finished it all off with the bourguignon, served in the same steaming pot in which it was baked. Alex could tell Tobin was nervous, but she knew to just let Tobin do her own thing until she was ready to sit down. 

Once Tobin finally had everything situated, she grabbed Alex's and her wine glass, and filled with them with the Bordeaux that had been sitting in the middle. Tobin took a deep breath and sat down. She spread her napkin on her lap and looked up to see the beautiful Alex Morgan smiling back at her. "To us," Alex said holding up her glass to toast Tobin. "To us," Tobin clinked her glass with Alex. After that, the girls had a bit of a light conversation to start dinner. 

They both needed to catch up on what had happened over the course of the last seven years. As they dug more and more into their dinner, they dug more and more into each other. And although the food began to wane, the intimacy between these lost souls grew exponentially. They talked about past partners, hard times, and big disappointments during the others’ absence, but neither would talk about the break up or the obvious tension. There was a spark between them that couldn't be ignored, try as Tobin may. After not seeing someone for seven years, one can't just pick up where she left off. Right? Both girls wanted the situation resolved, but only Alex was ready to talk about it right now. She just needed to wait till the time was right. 

After three hours of digging deeper and deeper into the past, Tobin finally stood up and started clearing the dishes, not allowing Alex to even lift a finger. Once the dishes were promptly put in the sink, Tobin pulled out a magnificently decadent French chocolate cake. Tobin just smiled at Alex as she eyed the cake in her hands. "Yanno I just thought I would keep the French theme going," she said, walking over to the table before setting it on the tiered platter. "Well, no complaints here," Alex stated, with her eyes still on the cake. Tobin plated the cake and handed it to Alex who was impatiently waiting for Tobin to sit down with her piece. Finally, Tobin sat down, and both of them dug into their succulent dessert. 

Once they were done, a quietness settled upon the girls. Alex knew this was her opening. "Tobin," Alex starred directly at her with a serious face, "I have to ask you if..." "Alex can we just enjoy this while we can?" Tobin interrupted, looking down at the table. Tobin didn't want to deal with reality. She wanted to keep running from her feelings. Everything was happening too fast. She couldn't just fall in love with Alex Morgan again. Little did she know, she already had. 

Silence reigned over them when suddenly, Tobin stood up from the table and took her plate to the sink. "Tobin, I just want to talk," Alex said while standing up walking over near the sink. "We can talk, just not about that," Tobin said while pretending to wash dishes. "But why? We're both adults. Don't tell me you don't feel it too," Alex shot back. "There's nothing to feel Alex. That feeling was gone seven years ago, and it's not coming back," Tobin denied. 

In reality, the feeling had come back the second she saw Alex strutting into the light with her bidding sign just twenty-four hours ago. "I just thought..." Alex trailed off as her voice cracked. "I was being nice, Alex. That's what twenty-six-year olds do. They pretend to be nice." Alex had heard enough. "Pretend!" Alex shouted back while her eyes filled with tears, "So this was all just an act, a show you were putting on? All because of what? Because I donated money to your company?" "No I would nev..." "I've heard enough, Tobin, goodbye thank you for the dinner," Alex raspily shouted, drowning in her own tears as she walked out the front door. Hearing the door slam behind Alex, Tobin threw her plate into the water. 

She leaned over the sink, pressing her palms into her eyes with great force, muttering, "what have I done?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams: They help us solve problems.

~What was she doing? Tobin knew how she felt about Alex. After seven years, was Tobin about to let her slip away again?~

Tobin threw the dishes in the sink: they weren’t going to be washed tonight. She stumbled upstairs and fell into bed, trying not to think about anything or anyone. She dosed off…

It was dark. Tobin stepped on to the front porch of her house and rumbled through her satchel until she finally pulled out her long Carolina Blue UNC lanyard with her house key attached. She put the key in the hole and turned the door knob until the large mahogany door opened. She took off her shoes and sauntered into the kitchen only to see a brunette sitting on one of the long mahogany benches with her back to Tobin. A long, dark, sleek pony tail waved to Tobin. Tobin walked up to the brunette and slowly wrapped her arms around her from behind. Tobin closed her eyes and squeezed the girl tightly while kissing her temple gently. "Hi Pretty Girl..." Tobin exhaled into the girl’s ear, "how was your day…" The girl turned to Tobin: it was Alex, and her face gave off a cool, reassuring light that drew Tobin in closer and closer. Alex kissed Tobin lightly and giggled. "It's better now that you're here" Alex responded with a smirk. Tobin smiled and released the soccer player from her loving embrace. 

She set her keys and bag down on the marble island in the middle of the kitchen with a large huff of exhaustion, all while Alex followed her with her eyes. "Rough day, babe?" Alex tossed out. Tobin looked over at the beautiful brunette when she suddenly realized the giant smile that filled her face—had that been there all along? "Ohhh yanno..." the exhaustion in Tobin's voice was gone, and a more playful lilt replaced it, "just the usual," she smirked. Tobin and Alex smiled silently brightly back at each other for a few seconds. They both understood what was happening. That smile. Tobin, realizing the magnitude of her feelings, thought to herself reflective yet excited, "This is what love is...when something that seems so small to other people, is something that I just couldn’t live without.” She opened her mouth: "Alex, I have something to say. “I really do..."

Tobin was jolted wide awake to the sound of the 7AM alarm on her phone blaring: it was time for her morning jog. Tobin always jumped out of bed when she woke up. “Never a second wasted,” was her moto. Today, however, she wasted many seconds thinking about the previous night, replaying her dream over and over again. A part of her wanted to ignore the dream altogether, and the other part knew that she was happier in that dream than she had been in a long time. It was clear to Tobin which side would win from the start. 

Even so, a last-ditch attempt from the repressive faction of her psyche, Tobin got out of bed. She mechanically pulled her Nike quarter zip over her head, her long black leggings, up her long, muscular legs, her running shoes, over her feet, her grey, fuzzy neck warmer, over her head, and then she headed out the door. The air was cool and crisp, and the neighborhood on that Sunday morning was dead silent, just the way Tobin liked it. "Hopefully this peaceful run will clear my mind and make everything clear..." Tobin thought to herself. Unfortunately, it did just the opposite. While she was running, she saw little things: a car with a sticker reading: “Proud UC Berkley Family,” or a dog that Tobin could have sworn for a second was Blue, or even, could she really be seeing this right: a flock of thirteen blue jays? Tobin thought she was going crazy. She couldn’t get away. Sometimes little things could mean a lot, Tobin’s dream taught her that.

She couldn't forget the way she felt with Alex in her house the night before. "How the can the presence of one girl make me so excited and yet so calm all at the same time?" Tobin contemplated. When she got home, the house seemed empty compared to her fantastic dream. The door, dense and heavy because Tobin knew that Alex wasn’t on the other side of it. The kitchen, dark because it lost the light of Alex’s luminescent smile. The bedroom, not even a chance. 

Tobin’s day was about as disorganized as her thoughts. Stuck in her head all day, she got nothing done at all. Around five o’clock, she looked up; she was a mess, and she knew why. She couldn’t fight it anymore. Tobin knew. Seven years ago, she had truly loved Alex Morgan, and that love never stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to worry y'all, this fanfic is back in action


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love will eat you up inside until you do something about it...

"Those are some preeetty strong words there, Heath." Lexa dictated to Tobin as Tobin paced her floor of Clexa Corp. back and forth that Monday morning. "Like I loved Clarke really early on...buuuut..." Lexa leaned her head in and looked to either side of her and said quietly "...we all know you don't say it after seeing her twice..." she paused and mumbled "even if she is the most beautiful blonde you have ever seen in your life and she has the hips of a...” you could tell she wasn’t even there anymore: she could only see Clarke. 

"LEXA,” Tobin snapped, trying to get back on topic. "Anyone who has ever been in a room with you knows you love Clarke..." Tobin said, rolling her eyes. Lexa confusedly looked at Tobin as if Lexa didn’t understand how Tobin possessed such top-secret information. "YOU UNDRESS HER WITH YOUR EYES!" Tobin cried out as if they were second graders on the playground, and Lexa blushed sanguinely (she was unaware that everyone knew that she like liked Clarke so much.) "Yeah...well...I guess it's a good thing I married her,” Lexa squeaked out. 

"Okay enough about you already..." Tobin harped out, "I have a serious problem...I'm IN LOVE with Alex Morgan...I've BEEN IN LOVE with Alex Morgan…I had her in my house, but I drove her away...what do I do?" Tobin whimpered out as she dramatically sat down in the chair across from Lexa's desk. "Well..." Lexa drew out slowly and then escalated her tone, "you could um…I don’t know…TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL!?"

Suddenly Clarke busted into the room, “Whaattt is going on in here with all the yelling? "Oh, I’m sorry honey. Tobin and I were just talking about her buyer," Lexa spat out quickly with a smirk. “Hmm,” Clarke inquired, “what about her?” Tobin tried to answer, “Nothing she and I jus—“ “TOBIN’S IN LOVE WITH ALEX MORGAN,” Lexa interrupted like an excited child. "Well aren't we all...?" Clarke replied in joking tone. 

Tobin gave out a small nervous laugh with a slight cringe, "You guys! This is a serious problem: what should I do? I messed up, and I can’t take it." Lexa sighed, “Tobin,” she paused and thought carefully about what she was going to say to one of her oldest and more cherished friends, “You know exactly what you need to do.” And with that, Lexa stood up from behind her desk and strutted through the doorway, leaving Tobin and Clarke behind. Tobin had hung her head in defeat when Clarke headed to the door, but before leaving, she stuck her head back into the office taking in the sad heap of Tobin. "Tobin!" Clarke said in a stern tone. Tobin picked her head, revealing her sad, slightly wet puppy dog eyes; defeat was looming behind her pupils. "Go after her,” Clarke encouraged before chasing after her lover. 

Tobin sat alone in her boss’s office. Both courage and fear battled in her head. For a second, Tobin thought fear might triumph; her eyes darkened. People passed by here and there, but no one even noticed her. She knew Alex wouldn’t have passed over her. Alex always picked up on her. Just then Tobin had a fleeting memory, not of an event, but of a feeling. 

Tobin was a young girl. Just turned seventeen, Tobin was a junior at Alex’s senior prom. It was cold, and they were taking pictures of everyone in their fanciest attire. Alex, Tobin, and a few of the other soccer players in their coed were chatting and laughing. Just then, Alex’s mom called her daughter over. Alex strutted to her mother; she looked fierce and hard in her long, tight black dress. Her mother was talking to Mrs. Carrasco and her son Servando. Alex and Servando were childhood friends, and their mothers wanted them to get a picture together. (They were the most attractive kids in the school; they had to get a picture together.) As they were posing, Servando must have said something hilarious because Alex burst out laughing. Tobin saw the way Alex looked at him and the same kind of fear and anxiety and doubt filled her mind then as it was now. It took a second, but when Alex locked eyes with Tobin again, she cut the pictures despite both mothers’ protest and rushed over to Tobin. “Tobin, you know we’re not like that.” “No, Alex, I know. It’s not your fault you shouldn’t be sorry…I really don’t know why I was jealous.” “Tobin, you can’t help how you feel, but I just want you to know I am yours always.” “Thanks,” Tobin paused, “hey, Alex…how did you know what I was thinking…nobody else did.” “It’s your eyes Tobin: it’s always your eyes.”

In that moment, Tobin’s face brightened. Clarke and Lexa were right. She knew what she had to do. After doing some digging, Tobin realized that it was going to be harder to find Alex Morgan than she had previously thought. Sure, she's a super star but that means you can't find her in the yellow pages. "Hmmm...how can I find Alex’s address?" Tobin thought to herself, "I could always call up the soccer team and pretend to be an agent in order to get her...no, no, no, that's borderline stalker." Tobin pondered a little longer, "Well...there's bound to be an Alex Tumblr fandom that knows where she is (for some reason they always knew where she is)...but ugh that will take forever; I don't have time to sort through all that trash." Tobin finally came to the realization that she could probably hunt down Alex after a soccer game like a little fan girl, and maybe just maybe, Alex would see her and give her a chance. It wouldn't be pretty but Tobin had messed up, so she had to make this right.

That night, Tobin bought a ticket for the Courage’s game against the Reign. Tobin had watched a lot of soccer in her life, but this was her first time watching a Courage game live. She loved the environment, the children, the energy, and the love of the game. The only problem was that Tobin had to keep herself from getting a little too excited when Alex scored which happened kinda a lot. When Alex scored her hat trick, Tobin didn’t exactly even know what had happened, but she was all of a sudden by the railings at the front of the stands. Tobin didn’t know what had come over her, but she was just screaming and screaming for her girl. After a few seconds, Tobin looked around and realized that nobody else was screaming like she was. Moreover, based on the somewhat upset or even shocked faces of the people behind her, Tobin may have done a little pushing while getting up to see her romance.

After the game, there was a big crowd to see the girls. There were people of all ages, little kids running around in Courage jerseys so oversized they looked like dresses, lots of face paint and decorative blue and gold signs with players’ numbers on them. The fan base in Carolina was impeccable and had grown in the short span of time that the team had been there after it was relocated from New York. The game crowds were starting to compete even with the big city teams like the Portland Thorns. 

Tobin knew the second the team began to file out of the locker room because the crowds low rumble turned into a high pitch scream. "Here we go..." Tobin thought "I have to compete with a hundred-other people to get Alex Morgan's attention." All the girls on the team walked over to the crowd signing posters and soccer balls and taking pictures with the fans before waving goodbye to the crowd and thanking them for their support. 

Alex, of course, was the last to stumble out the door (she needed some time to decompress after each game, win or lose.) Tobin could tell, even from far away, that Alex's smile didn't seem as bright as it normally did—that was odd because the Courage had a shockingly strong win against the Reign. Alex always took her games personally. Tobin thought back to one time when Alex and Tobin were playing in high school again. Tobin was nervous because her friends Allie and Kelley were coming to visit from National City. Tobin loved Allie and Kelley; the trio hadn’t been complete in a long time, and Tobin was so excited for them to come and especially to meet Tobin’s love, Alex. The only problem was that there was a soccer game right before Kelley and Allie came. Tobin knew that if they lost, Alex would be torn apart; she would make it her fault, and it could jeopardize the visit. Tobin just wanted everything to work out perfectly. However, all the worry was for naught when, with about five minutes left in the game, Tobin split two defenders and drew just enough attention to pass the ball to a free Alex Morgan who scored easily and secured the win. Needless to say, Alex was in a great mood, and Tobin’s friends all loved her. Alex Morgan was the happiest girl on the planet after a win. Why wasn’t she this time? Maybe Alex was having a tough time just like Tobin. Some things are more important than soccer.

Tobin stayed back behind the crowd leaning on one leg against a tree with her arms crossed waiting for the crowd to die down. Tobin watched Alex (how could she look at anyone else?) Alex was mesmerizing with the children, always bending down to talk to the smaller kids at eye level, never passing over anyone who wanted to see her. (Although people called her a soccer player, she thought of herself more as a liaison for the game she loved.) If she could, she would stay for hours after long gruesome games just to make sure everyone got what they wanted. Tobin loved that about the girl and was glad she got to see it unfold right before her eyes.

Once Alex thanked the last little girl waiting to get her U.S. soccer jersey signed, she turned around to head to her car when she heard a familiar voice call out, "Alex...Alex can I talk to you for a second," she knew who it was. As Tobin stepped out of the shadows and made B-line for Alex, one of the security guards stepped in her path and puffed out as chest, almost as a way to say "keep movin’ punk." But just as Tobin was about to open her mouth and explain herself, Alex waved the guard off: "it's okay Serge, I know her," with a tint of heaviness in her voice. Serge looked back to Alex, giving her an eye asking if she was sure. Once Alex gave him another nod, he stepped aside allowing Tobin to go to Alex. 

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked in a skeptical, strained tone, "you can't just show up here Tobin, this is my job and I..." "Alex I know..." Tobin reposted, "I didn’t have another option. You can’t even imagine how bad I need to talk to you." A slight smile peaked onto Alex's face before she realized she was supposed to be mad at Tobin and tucked her grin away. "Well...what do you want...?" "I need to tell you something but I can't say it here...can we..." "How about my place. Now. Just follow me there." Alex interrupted, and without even giving Tobin time to protest, Alex was already walking to her car. "No wait, Alex, I didn't mean...it's not..." "Follow me Heath...I'll see you soon!" Alex interrupted again before dipping her head into her car. Tobin wasn’t sure about this. She was hoping that they could talk on more neutral ground. As Tobin shut her door she gulped and thought to herself: "I'm going to Alex Morgan's house..." Tobin muttered to herself "to tell her that I love her...goooooddd.".  
________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's heat this up...


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things that should've been said a long time ago...

Alex opened the giant wood door to her house and walked in with Tobin trailing behind her. The second Tobin stepped into the house, she noticed the scale of the structure. She noticed the massive amount of crown molding on every edge in the house. She was awe-struck by the 20 foot ceilings. And she was shocked stiff by the hallways that looked like they could go on forever. The massive crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling made the whole room sparkle as if one were looking through a kaleidoscope. 

"This house is..." Tobin wondered off, spinning around the in room trying to take everything in. "Way too big for just one person?...yeah I know," Alex found Tobin’s words for her as Alex dropped her bag next to the front door and made her way to the giant winding staircase. "I was going to say amazing...but Hey Wait!" Tobin cried out as she noticed the brunette walking away: "where are you going?...I have to talk to you! Remember?" Tobin shouted after Alex. 

She was almost positive she could hear her voice echo throughout the house. "IIIIIII just had a long hard game...sooooo IIIIII’mm going to take a long shower...make yourself at home...I'll be back down before you miss me too much," Alex saucily shot back to her tan friend as she strutted up the long stair case. "You won't be the only one who will need a shower after this," Tobin said, more to herself. "What was that?" Alex shouted from the top of the stairs. "Oh nothing...just nothing," Tobin eked out, glad Alex hadn’t heard her (or had she?) 

Tobin fell onto one of Alex’s black leather couches. She glanced around at the room. All the walls were a rich red with delicate pin-stripes of gold; she couldn’t take her eyes off of them. Tobin giggled as a thought flew into her head, but she extinguished it almost right away. In any case, Tobin felt at ease knowing she was doing what she was supposed to do.

Ten minutes later, Alex sauntered down the stairs with sopping wet hair in one hand and a towel in the other. Alex was wearing some grey joggers that hugged her smooth hips all the way down to her muscular calves in a way that didn’t let you look away. If you even got that far up, she was wearing a flowy black tank top, teasingly draped over she shoulders. Alex stood in front of Tobin, still padding her hair dry. The whole room started to fill with smell of her lavender shampoo. "How can someone look so good in just sweats?" Tobin thought to herself, "Lord have mercy on my soul if she comes any closer I'm going to—" "So..." Alex interrupted Tobin's possibly dangerous thoughts, "I thought you said you had to tell me something." 

Tobin snapped out of her day dream and stood up from her place on the comfy leather couch. “Yeah, uh, about that…" “Okay well talk to me while I eat a little something; you want anything?" Alex picked up for Tobin again as she made her way to the kitchen. 

Tobin padded to the kitchen behind Alex. "No thank you..." Tobin responded as she picked a stool at the bar. She rested her elbows on the dark granite countertops. "Alex, the reason I came over here was to…" Tobin got distracted by Alex’s rummaging through the two-door stainless steel refrigerator. "Don't worry I'm still listening. Continue," she mumbled as she pulled her head out of the frigid.

"Alex..." Tobin continued on with her monologue, "I don't really know how to say this, but the reason I came over here was to tell you about something that I have felt for a very long time, but I never wanted to admit—or actually—I did want, but I didn't want to deal with it, and I never knew how to deal with it, so I just pushed you away, and then I...well you know Sunday night I—" 

"Tobin" Alex's strong, reassuring voice snapped Tobin out of her rambling. As soon as Tobin looked up, she saw Alex's soft eyes. She was trying to guide Tobin in the right direction. "Just take a deep breath and keep going," Alex said in a gentle, maybe even, loving tone. "Alex,” Tobin took a second, thought if she was really going to say it, exhaled, and went on, “Alex, I'm in love with you.” Tobin’s heart was bare, but Alex didn’t even flinch. "I have never stopped loving you; even when I broke up with you all those years ago, I still loved you," Tobin continued softy—the gates had opened, and there was no going back.

"But Tobin," Alex chimed in now eying Tobin intensely, leaning over the counter on her elbows, "if you loved me, why did you break up with me? You…hurt me, and you did it anyway?" "Why does anyone do the stupid things she does when she’s in love?" Tobin replied quietly with her head hung "I was so afraid of losing you, Alex. You were off at college having a great time and I was the high school girlfriend miles and miles away. It’s so easy to forget about someone when you're that far away. It's so easy to pick fights and to make excuses when there's no one there to call you out. I didn't want to lose you...so for some reason I decided to run. I ran to the East coast. But, when you run, your heart goes with you, and no matter where I ended up, no matter what I was doing, that ache in my heart for you was always with me. Sunday night was so nice. I can't even put into words how it felt to just talk to you again, to have you back in my life. But then—" Tobin's eyes slowly started to turn glassy, and her voice became more horse: "I got scared. I said things I didn't mean. I said things that hurt you. Alex..." Tobin said looking directly into Alex's eyes, "I could never pretend around you, in fact" a small gasp slipped out of Tobin's mouth, "you're probably the only person that knows my masks. You're like a breath of fresh air. You're like getting the last bite of cake. You’re like seeing a singular friend in an ocean of cold strangers.” 

Alex made her way over to the girl sitting at the bar who was almost completely bare now: things had finally been said that should have been voiced a long time ago. She placed her hand on Tobin's back and started rubbing to soothe the tears that fell from Tobin’s beautiful eyes. "I just...I just…" Tobin gasped for air trying to catch her breath. "Shhhhh..." Alex leaned in and cooed softly in her ear, "it's okay; you're okay; just breath." 

Once Tobin caught her breath, she turned her stool to look at the sweet girl standing in front of her. "I love you, Alex" Tobin whispered out after the tears stopped running down her cheek. When she looked up at Alex's face, she saw a pretty, little, sweetly patient smile shining back at her. Alex grabbed Tobin by the shoulders and leaned in so her mouth was right by Tobin's ear. "I have something to tell you also, Tobin Heath," Alex murmured just barely audible in Tobin's ear. Tobin took a big gulp. Alex leaned out so she was face to face with Tobin. "I love you too," Alex whispered with a smirk before moving closer to Tobin and putting a sensual kiss on Tobin's lips.

Tobin could barely control herself. It was as if the whole world, past and future, dissolved away to pay homage to this one supremely beautiful, passionate, scintillating moment. In the moment, Tobin Heath could not feel, know, or want anything except Alex’s warm lips.

Once Tobin finally came to her senses, she pushed back into Alex's kiss. Only more passionate, Tobin stood up and backed Alex up until she was pinned against the wall. Tobin's hands roamed Alex's body while Alex moved her hands through Tobin's luscious brown hair. 

Tobin slowly grabbed Alex’s hands and pinned them above her head. She then slid her hands down and gently, slowly pulled up Alex’s shirt over her head. Alex was completely submissive to Tobin’s will; she trusted her. Next, Tobin slid down Alex’s sleek, hard body kissing every inch before returning to her partner’s lips where she stayed for a long time letting all the pain slip away. 

Alex finally broke the kiss, and Tobin stepped back giving Alex full control to leave if she wanted. But Alex took Tobin's hand, and instead, guided her towards the stairs. A few steps up the staircase, Alex felt a slight tug backwards. She stopped and turned around to see a stoic Tobin with big eyes, “Are you really sure you want to do this, Alex?” “Positive,” and Alex pulled Tobin into her bedroom and shut the door for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Few more chapter to go.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Respect me first then you can love me later

The next morning, Tobin woke to the light shining through the floor-length windows of Alex's bedroom. After reminding herself that she was, in fact, in Alex Morgan's bed, naked? yes definitely naked, a giant smile found its way to Tobin's face. Tobin turned to her left to see Alex, still asleep, tangled in the crisp white sheets. 

She looked so peaceful as her chest slowly rose and fell. Tobin giggled as she remembered the previous night; it was a lot of fun, but it was nothing compared to waking up next to the beautiful brunette that she loved. Tobin quickly leaned over to the end table next to her and texted Lexa to let her know she would be taking the morning off. Lexa just responded with a winkie face along with a sly, "take all the time you need.” Tobin rolled her eyes and laughed. She put her phone back down and slowly maneuvered over to Alex who was dead asleep on her side. 

Tobin carefully moved her breast right up against Alex's back and wrapped her arms around her. As soon as Tobin touched Alex, Tobin could feel Alex wiggle subconsciously and effortlessly into her embrace. Even half asleep, Alex still searched for Tobin's touch. Tobin moved her chin up over Alex's shoulder just enough to put a light a kiss on her temple. She could feel Alex relax under her. A few seconds after, Tobin heard Alex mutter out, "just like old times…" in a mutter tone, still half asleep. "Just like old times," Tobin whispered back. 

After a few minutes, Tobin could tell by Alex's now more cyclic breathing that she was fully asleep once again. Tobin gingerly ducked out behind Alex and searched the ground for any clothes she could throw on. She found her underwear but no shirt. Tobin tip-toed over to Alex's closet, stepped in, and flipped on the light. Damn. Tobin didn’t expect this many clothes even from Alex. She combed through the massive amounts of shirts until she found an obviously oversized, heavily-worn Courage spirt shirt with a thirteen on the back. It was just long enough to cover her butt. After slipping the shirt over her head, Tobin slipped out of the bedroom door and made her way to the kitchen.

Alex was obviously exhausted from her soccer game the night before, among other things, so Tobin decided to whip her up a nice little breakfast in bed. Of course, the giant kitchen took a while to get accustomed to—Tobin feared that by the time she made it all the way to the fridge to get the garnishing strawberries, her French toast would be already burnt. One small consolation was that the kitchen came equipped with everything. "Do you really need three sets of every instrument, plate, and utensil, Alex?" Tobin asked herself as she eeny-meeny-miny-moed among the different sets of plates for her masterpieces, two pieces of golden-brown French toast with strawberries (hold the powdered sugar: she’s an athlete,) an egg sunny side up for some protein, and Tobin even took the time to squeeze some fresh orange juice because she didn’t want Alex’s immune system to falter. She tried to be as quiet as possible during this whole endeavor to make sure she didn't wake the sleeping beauty upstairs. 

Once the food was ready and plated, Tobin headed upstairs with the tray of food in her hands. She gently pushed the open the cracked door, expecting to see Alex sound sleep, but instead, she found the girl propped up in bed with a slightly sad and confused look on her face. "Good morning beautiful," Tobin said with a goofy smile on her face as she walked over to her lover and placed the tray on her lap, "I thought you could use some breakfast to refuel from last night," Tobin winked at her with a gaping smile. Alex looked at her for a second and then reciprocated the giant smile, grabbed Tobin’s loose shirt, almost dropping the plate of Tobin’s slaved-over food, and pulled Tobin’s lips to hers. 

Once Alex eventually switched from digging into Tobin’s face to digging into her food, Tobin jumped into bed next to her girlfriend. She wiggled over to Alex and put her arm around the girl as she ate. "When I woke up and you were gone…I thought that you…" Alex wondered until Tobin interrupted her, "leave a girl as a pretty as you without saying goodbye? Not a chance." Alex just looked down at her food. “I didn’t know…” Alex went on; Tobin knew that not everything could be easy right away. Tobin leaned over and kissed the side of Alex's head, "I took the morning off work so we could spend a little extra time together.” "Tobin," Alex turned to her with a questionable look, "you didn't have to do that for me." "Shhh—I wanted to do it," Tobin smiled back at the girl. 

Once Alex was finally done with her power-breakfast, she crawled over onto Tobin's lap and looked down at her. Tobin couldn't help it, but her heart began to race. When Alex looked down at the girl she loved, she also noticed the t-shirt she was wearing. "You're wearing my t-shirt," Alex stated. "Yeah, is that okay?" Tobin gave Alex a quizzical look. "That's amazing—I mean like you're in my house, and it's morning, and you slept in my house and..." "ALEX STOP QUOTING THE SANVERS SCENE FROM LAST WEEKS EPISODE OF SUPERGIRL!" Tobin yelled out jokingly. "Okaaayyy," Alex pretended to pout before looking into Tobin's eyes and giving in to her act with a slight, slight giggle. Tobin pulled the girl on top of her closer until she could kiss her lips.

Alex finally hopped off Tobin and headed to the bathroom. "Hey wait," Tobin harped, "I didn't think we were done just yet;" she ended with a dirty a smirk. Alex poked her head out of the bathroom, "Listen to you, Ms. Bad Influence! Some of us can't just call off work: I have practice in an hour." Tobin understood, she didn't want to make Alex miss anything. Tobin’s job was important to her so she respected Alex for caring so much about hers. The game meant everything to her. "I'm going to shower," Alex continued, "but come in here so I can talk to you for a little before I have to leave." 

Tobin hurdled out of the bed and moseyed on over to the bathroom. If Tobin was impressed by the kitchen, she was blown away by the bathroom. This bathroom had everything one could imagine and more. The floor was all white marble leading up to the sleet walk-in shower. The shower had water jets on the wall allowing perfectly clear water to be projected at all angles and even a rain shower from above to make you feel like you’re outside. The door was pure glass, so Tobin could peer right in if she felt so inclined. There also was a giant Jacuzzis with a fire place at the foot of the bath. The bathroom even had a granite island. "Who needs an island in a bathroom?" Tobin thought obnoxiously to herself. 

Tobin made her way to the wall across from Alex's shower and slumped down to the floor with her back leaning against the wall. Alex wasn't the only one worn out from last night. Alex came out of the linen closet in the corner with a white fluffy towel wrapped around her. Alex walked over to the sink, dropping her towel and looked at herself in the mirror to make sure there were no marks from last night that were going to have to be covered up before practice. But Alex noticed as soon as she dropped her towel, Tobin quickly turned her head the other way. Alex wanted to test out her little hunch; she walked over to Tobin who continued to turn her head only more and more noticeably. Tobin still wouldn't look straight at her. "Tobin, yanno," Alex said in a tasty, sassy way, "Why won’t you look at me? You did a lot more than look last night," Alex said jokingly through her toothy smile. Tobin turned her head to take in her full body all at once, "I was just…" "I know," Alex interrupted, "you were just being Tobin," as Alex bent down and kissed the girl on the cheek. "And that's what I love about you," Alex said over her shoulder as she made her way to the warm shower. 

Alex stepped in and let the water fall over every inch of her body before she slicked her hands back through her hair. "Why do you have to shower anyways, you just showered last night," Tobin said with a hint of a pouting. "If I walk into that locker room today with my skin glowing and smelling like I do now, the whole team will know something is up and they don't need to know what's going on just yet." 

Alex explained from the shower while pulling her lavender shampoo through her long brown hair. "Ohh so you're embarrassed of me, I see," Tobin said from her spot on the floor with a hint of jealousy and sarcasm in her voice. Tobin heard a loud laugh come from the shower. "I’m sorry, Heath, but trust me, I'm not embarrassed. Last night, I was with my high school sweetheart, and we had some great sex if I do say so myself. I would shout it from the roof tops if I could, or at least tweet about it. But it’s just different. This is good, and I want to keep it to myself right now," Alex chimed with her eyes closed while rinsing her hair out quickly and stepping out of the shower. She beamed over to see Tobin trying to hide the goofy smile plastered all over her face. "Shout it from the roof tops, aye," Tobin playfully said to herself. "And then some," Alex responded lovingly as she made her way to the closet to change for practice. Once Alex was all ready for practice, she and Tobin made their way downstairs. 

The whole morning was filled with little touches and nudges between the two. Neither of them could help that they got more touchy as it got closer for the two to separate. "Tonight—“ Alex broke the peaceful silence, "come over after work." Tobin nodded her head in agreement. "That way we can order the U-haul together and you can move all your stuff in tomorrow." Alex said with a smirk. "Aleeeex," Tobin rolled her eyes at her lover dressed in her full-on soccer gear. "I'm kiddddinngggg, I was just trying to fit the lesbian stereotype, duhhhh!" Alex said jokingly with a flip of hair. "But really though," Alex’s voice took a serious turn, "come over tonight, and let's talk about how we want this to go. Call it a date?" Alex said as she locked the house door behind her and headed to her car. "It’s a date," Tobin reciprocated. They both drove away in their respective cars. As she drove to her job that seemed so unimportant now, Tobin couldn't restrain the gargantuan smile drawn across her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little more to go...I hope you guys have enjoyed this little journey!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Treat me like you want me...

Tobin strutted into Lexa's office at Clexa Corp. with a huge smile on her face after her morning off with Alex. Her skin was glowing. "Well if it isn't our own Casanova, Tobin Heath herself..." Lexa teased after putting aside her work on her desk and sliding her glasses farther down on her nose to get a better look. 

"I sure hope whatever you were doing was worth it since you had to call off this morning...." Lexa joked. Tobin, clearly thinking of something else "I know, I know. I feel terrible for calling off, but I wanted to see Alex a little longer, and I didn't want her to just think I ditched her. You know I'm not a 'hit and quit it' type of girl. And Alex looked so peaceful while she was sleeping, and I..." Tobin would've kept rambling for hours had Lexa not stopped her. "Tobin! Tobinnnn...I was kidding. Geez, you haven't taken a single day off in years, and I have to beg you to not bring your laptop home on Christmas. You're fine. I hope your talk” she said with air-quotes “went well." 

At that moment, Clarke waltzed in obviously entranced in her work, "Hey Babe, do you have the numbers for last month’s—” She finally noticed Tobin standing there. Clarke took one look and knew everything that happened the previous night. "Well someone had a good night with Alex Morgan." Clark cupped her hand around her mouth and nose toward her wife (as if Tobin couldn’t hear her) and whispered not too inconspicuously, "but how can you not with that body.” Lexa shook her head with a shy smile in agreement. "What. Whattt. I'm standing right here you guys. Plus, how did you know that we..." Tobin’s face was sanguine—if they weren’t sure before, they knew now—"did...yanno..." "Oh you're glowing, and besides, you smell like sex..." Clarke said matter of factly. Lexa hummed in agreement.

"Whaaaattt is with everyone thinking that you 'smell' after sex?" Tobin said to herself but also, unbeknownst to her, out loud. Her two bosses looked at her confused. Lexa ventured, "Uhm...you always smell after sex; it’s—" Tobin interrupted. "No, only you guys smell after sex," she pointed laughingly at them, "because you do it in small cramped places like your car in the parking lot" she counted on her fingers with grand gestures as if playing charades, “the storage closet down the hall that you had cleaned out but never repurposed,” Tobin had made her point but was just having fun now, “and don’t get me started on—” “OK Tobin, we get it,” Clarke interrupted. Tobin blushed, she hadn’t been able to concentrate very well recently, "I mean yeah, you guys aren't subtle at all..." she trailed off laughing nervously. 

"On that note, I'm gunna get to work" Tobin said in an obnoxiously upbeat voice as she gave both of her bosses a thumbs up and sauntered out. As she was walking out, she could hear Clarke whispering, "I told you someone would notice.” 

As Tobin left work that day, she hurried over to her house to grab a change of clothes and a few essentials for the night. At a red light, she pulled out her phone just to make sure one more time. "Bring an overnight bag;)" Ugh, did Alex know how much those little words rattled around in Tobin’s head?

 

Tobin pulled in Alex's circle drive way a little after 7 and parked her car before the tip of the circle so as to not block the beautifully lit house from the street. As Tobin was climbing out of car with her overnight bag, Alex walked out the front door. "What are you doing...?" Alex’s voice shout out; she looked puzzled. Alex had obviously re-showered after practice and was now wearing her hair up in a very tight, very wet bun. Wearing a Cardinal Red Nike soft cotton tee and some Nike sweats with the courage insignia on the thigh, Alex was obviously embracing her team.

"Oh I...I…" Tobin stuttered after pointing back to her car, "I was just parking my car, but I can move it to the street if you w—" Alex cut Tobin off. "Tobin, the street? Really? You act like you're some one-night-stand." Alex said with a confident smile and her arms crossed over her chest. Tobin looked back at her a little nervous. "Bring your car over here, and pull it into the garage," Alex said as she turned around and motioned Tobin to follow her by throwing her hand back over her shoulder. "I know I seem crazy, but I don't have four cars to fit in there" Alex reiterated. Tobin snapped out of her trance and smiled. Alex was treating Tobin like a long-term girlfriend, not a lapse in judgment—this was intentional. Some would be scared by the steps, the benchmarks, that had apparently been skipped in their relationship, but Tobin couldn't have been happier. Seven years had been too long. They needed to make up for lost time. 

Alex opened up the garage door and Tobin looped around and pulled her car in, and Alex hit the button to close the door. Tobin walked up to Alex standing in the doorway. "V. I. P. treatment I see..." Tobin said with a smirk, "Do you do this for all your guests?" "Only the ones I really, really like," Alex said sensually as she caressed Tobin’s chin, up to behind her ear, and back into Tobin’s thick hair. "So, you really like me, aye?" Tobin pretend to be confused, trying very, very hard to stay on topic. "After last night, I think it’s pretty clear how I feel," Alex said in a low voice as she slowly leaned in to kiss Tobin. Tobin met Alex's lips with the same vigor. They both took in every crevice of the others soft lips. "Man, I could get used to coming home to this..." Tobin said softly after they pulled apart. 

Alex just laughed and grabbed Tobin's hand pulling her into the house behind her. "C'mon silly, I made dinner" Alex said as she dragged Tobin to the kitchen. "Wow and she cooks, too" Tobin commented from behind. When Tobin walked into the kitchen she could see a few candles strewn around the countertops and the table along with 2 cups of red wine on either side of a pizza box. "Alexxxx, you said you made dinner," Tobin complained laughingly, "and last time I checked, your kitchen is not ‘Charlie’s Pizza and Italian Edible.’ " "Yeah, you see the thing is..." Alex explained half-heartedly in-between sips of her red wine, "Don’t tell anyone, but…I can't really cook." Tobin’s giggling erupted into a tear-extracting cackle. 

Alex went on as if Tobin could listen in her state, "You made such an amazing meal the other night, and I wanted to repay you...but this is all I got," Alex said putting her hands up in, palms out, the air in defeat. When as the laughs began to trickle and she caught her breath, Tobin walked over to Alex who was turned around looking at the table and put her arms around her waist pulling Alex’s back to her chest. They both looked at the small yet momentous table-setting. So many nights were unjustly past with these two apart. Whether a four-course meal or a store-bought pizza, it was perfect; it was right. "I love it, thank you." Tobin slowly whispered into Alex ear and quickly progressed into a hot kiss in the middle of the kitchen. 

When their lips parted, and their eyes met only inches apart, Tobin smiled. Then spontaneously, Tobin unraveled herself from Alex’s embrace and went straight for the pizza box, opened it, and pulled out a steamy hot piece of cheese pizza. A string of cheese came with the piece as she pulled it higher and higher as if each fiber were hanging on for dear life. She had gone nearly two feet from the table before the last filament accepted defeat and succumb to gravity. Tobin gazed with a twinkle. 

With a mouthful of pizza, Tobin turned to Alex: "you remembered." Alex smiled back at the girl who seemed so much like a child. "Plain cheese is pretty boring, but yes, yes I did," Alex said with a smug smile as she pulled her wine glass up to her lips. For some reason, everything Alex said that seemed to fit with Tobin. They were like two parallel cosmic rays, together for eternity in their trip through the universe. 

The girls gulped down their pizza and wine at warped speed. Once every crumb was picked out of the corners of the pizza box, Alex looked up at Tobin giving her big, knowing eyes. "I think we should talk now," Alex said as she stood up from her place at the table. Tobin nodded and followed Alex into the living room. They both planted themselves on the couch, each mirror images with one leg hanging off the sofa, and the other, under her to make a “4,” so they to look directly at the other. 

It was quiet, Tobin opened her mouth and was about to make the first move, but Alex interrupted her and took control. "You did all the hard talking last night, Tobin. Let me start this one." Tobin silently agreed to allow Alex to lead this dance. 

"Tobin..." Alex said looking into Tobin's eyes. Alex thought for a second. She remembered the very first time she ever took a free kick, way before she even met Tobin, way before she was getting paid to play, way before she really knew the beautiful game at all. In that moment with Tobin, Alex thought back to what Coach Press told her before she took that kick: ‘Trust yourself, Alex, and just do what you have to do.’ Trust yourself. Alex knew what she had to do. "I'm just going to come right out and say it: I love you, and I've always loved you. And I'm not trying to scare you, but I want, no I need, to be honest. I want whatever this is..." she motioned in between the girl with her hands "I want this and more. I don’t want this to be just a hook up. I want you to be my girlfriend. I want you to live in this giant house. I want to marry you." Tobin's eyes just about popped out of her head. Seeing Tobin, Alex clarified, "I want to marry you someday. Not today, but someday." Alex could see the sigh of relief as Tobin exhaled. "Like I said yesterday, this house is way too big for one person. I want to fill it with many little humans and to raise them with someone I love. I don’t want this to be too much for you; I don’t want to drive you away," she continued, "but you need to know where I stand and what I want the future to look like so that, if you're not game, we don't start something that will end poorly again." Alex took a deep breath as she finished her monologue and now intently looked to Tobin for her response. 

Tobin took a second to let what the girl across from her had said sink in. She could see the anxiety hiding behind Alex's eyes. "Alex..." Tobin reached over to grab her hand and looked into her eyes, "I want every bit of what you just said.” She could see Alex's smiling pulling up her face. "But how about you let me have you to myself for a little bit before we bring any little ones into this picture," Tobin said with an even bigger smile. Alex laughed "Yeah maybe we should go on a real date first." "A real date?" Tobin questioned jokingly. "You don't consider Saturday's dinner a real date?" "Well, honestly, I’ve had worse.” They both giggled. 

A cool sense of reality struck Tobin as the events of that night played through her head. "Yeah, you're right. We need something better." "Movie night...right now," Alex said as she shrugged her shoulders. "She's the Man?" Tobin tossed with a devilish smile. Alex rolled her eyes, "You're twenty-six, and that's still your favorite movie?" "You bet your ass it is. Amanda Bynes pre-breakdown, you can't beat it!" Tobin chirped back. "Whatever you want," Alex said as she turned off the lights around the room, opened the credenza, retrieved the Apple TV remote, and threw it to Tobin. 

The soccer player plopped right down next to Tobin on the shorter part of the L-shaped couch and pulled her in close to her body. Once Tobin set up the movie, she wiggled into Alex’s body, placing her head in Alex's lap while sticking her legs out the length of the long couch. Tobin didn't look up to see if Alex cared that she was lying in her lap, but when Tobin felt Alex's long fingers running though her hair and, at the same time, gliding ever so lightly over her exposed skin by the arm of Tobin’s t-shirt, she knew Alex was more than okay with having Tobin there. The light touches seemed to lull Tobin straight to sleep. Alex noticed the slow, even breathing, but could not pull them up to bed before capitulating to sweet sleep. The rest of the movie played out in front of closed eyes.   
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End file.
